India : making government funding work harder : two case studies suggesting more effective use of government resources for water and sanitation

Despite the constant endeavours of government and multilateral agencies, rural water and sanitation targets in India remain elusive. WaterAid has been supporting water and sanitation projects in India since 1985, but in the five states in South India in which WaterAid currently supports projects, 64 per cent of the rural population do not have access to safe drinking water and 86 per cent do not have access to adequate sanitation. This publication on India is the third in a series of reports which analyse WaterAid's experience in integrated water, sanitation and hygiene education projects in developing countries. The report examines the evidence of two case studies to suggest appropriate ways for government to use its resources to achieve results in the water and sanitation sector, and assesses the implications for rural communities and NGOs. The case studies in this report - sanitation in Tamilnadu and handpump maintenance in Andhra Pradesh - reflect major themes of WaterAid-supported programmes in South India. One seeks to change personal behaviour; the other to change people's perception of what owning community assets entails. Both seek to influence government policy, one by establishing new models and ways of working, the other by working with government towards handing over responsibility to communities. The report identifies the essential factors which resulted in change in each project, and the issues which unify them. The case studies provide ideas about effective relationships between communities, NGOs and government and suggest ways for government funding to focus on supporting community-based initiatives in order to accelerate coverage of safe water and sanitation, rather than on high capital subsidy of latrines and provision of handpump maintenance services.